Reviews & Ratings for Cafe Asean

Lovely... if you like burnt food and mice on your feet

by smithydubs at Citysearch

After a reccomendation (both personal and from a travel book) it was with excitement and interest that we visited cafe asean.

How wrong we were

Though the monkefish was delicious, the clay hot pot turned up completely burnt, so much so that a little less than half the food could not be scraped off the side of the bowl.

To add to this there were several dirty looking black mice running around the outside area of the restaurant (where we were sitting). These little fellers were scurrying around our feet grabbing dropped food and making the whole experience thouroughly unenjoyable.

At the end of the meal we complained about the burnt food and the mice. We were told this was how the dish was cooked and that it was difficult to control the mice as the terrace was outdoors. two very weak excuses in our book.

After pressing the issue the manager was called over. He offered us the bill with the clay hot pot removed (burnt problem dealt with) and the suggestion that we should move inside (his terrible attempt at dealing with the mouse problem).

We accepted the reduction in price and were please just to leave the place

In summary: A lovely setting a full of promise, but major improvements to cleanliness, attitude and attention to detail are needed.

Really Good Paella, Cute Date Spot

by nychica5 at Citysearch

My friend and I came here on a Friday night at 8pm and were seated without a wait. The restaurant is small, but not cramped. It's a cute and cozy restaurant, the perfect environment for a date! We ordered the shrimp and chive dumplings to start, which were good and a little spicy. For entrees, I ordered the Paella, which takes 20min but they inform you of the wait when you order, and my friend ordered the lemongrass chicken. My paella was amazing, it came out piping out and was perfectly seasoned. The waitstaff were attentive but not overly so. The only things I didn't like about the place were my friend's lemongrass chicken (kind of bland) and the chair (super uncomfortable).

• Pros: Paella, Ambience
• Cons: Chairs, small menu

Great Asian Tapas!

by gaiamcraft at Citysearch

I really like this little place. They have a nice outside seating area in the back, although I wish their chairs were more comfortable. The appetizers are what it really is all about. I went there with some people and we particularly liked the shrimp dumplings, the salmon spring rolls, the fried mushroom dumplings, and the calamari. You cannot beat the prices either.

• Pros: Tapas, Price

VERY disappointed

by bornandraisedherenyc at Citysearch

Cafe Asean disappointed me. The staff there were rather unpleasant despite an effort on the customer's part to be pleasant. The food is okay sometimes but it can be very variable, there are much better places, with more solid food quality, and staff that is much more pleasant than at Cafe Asean. I will not go back, I was very unhappy, particularly the attitude.

• Pros: Good location
• Cons: Unpleasant staff

Best Asian food in the area

by rbraimon at Citysearch

Picture it. St. Patricks Day, 2007. We scurried past the drunken debauchery spilling out from neighboring bars and pubs, and came upon a cute Pan-asian restaurant off a side street in the village. It was a blustery cold evening and Cafe Asean's windows were foggy and inviting. We sat near the gas heated lamps in the enclosed back patio and settled into a great meal. The Sotong calamari had a great dipping sauce and was light and crispy. Kari Kapitan (Chicken with coconut curry) was tender with a tasty sauce. Gaeng Kheow (Green Curry with shrimp and vegetables) was mildly spicy in a good way and very fresh. Salmon Goreng entree was crispy with a great pineapple curry sauce. It was later in the evening and the birthday party crowds were dispersing. Our service came from a rarest-of-rare breed of New Yorker - an optomistic and authenticaly nice waiter who actually enjoys his job. Post dinner chat was charming and refreshing. We left full, happy and eager to come back and try a few more dishes.

• Pros: Friendly, Great Food, Inexpensive, Comfortable and no attitude

Clean, exotic flavors in an art-cafe atmosphere blend right in with the surrounding Greenwich Village bohemia.

by Kathleen Squires at Citysearch

The Scene
Its artsy-craftsy, bay-windowed atmosphere may feel transplanted from San Francisco, but the clientele are full-fledged New Yorkers in-the-know seeking out stimulating, sophisticated and inexpensive Southeast Asian fare.

The Food
Nobody likes a show-off, but the cuisine coming out of this modest kitchen should be more touted. Fresh, clear flavors pervade the menu, especially in starters like plump steamed shrimp and chive dumplings with a lively ginger-lime soy dipping sauce and coconut-kissed carrots, peas, onions and zucchini stuffed in the tofu skin of the chay samosa. Herb-crusted scallops served in a subtle saffron and coconut sauce showcase the kitchen's light touch and wok-seared beef cubes are so well marinated that the tomato taste infuses and tenderizes the meat. Even the simple dishes like noodles with chicken and bok choy are finely prepared. And desserts, including black sticky rice pudding, demonstrate the kitchen's creativity and clever restraint down to the last bite.

Great Meal, Wonderful Flavors, Gracious Service

by if2 at Citysearch

I just got back from dinner here. It was a fantastic meal. We had the Calamari with a mango sauce that had a light almost tempura-like breading with the most amazing sweet/spicy sauce. I had the Red Curry with Pumpkin and Beef which was a large portion with a great taste. It was very obvious that the ingredients were fresh and the dishes well prepared. It was so nice to find pumpkin in a dish, its an underrated flavor. The service was gracious and unobtrusive. This was a wonderful find, I will be back. The place itself is adorable. A tiny room filled with antiqued tables, tons of candles, and huge paper lanterns. Cash only.

• Pros: Interesting and fresh tastes, great service, adorable decor
• Cons: cash only

Cool place to be!!!

by funneltom at Citysearch

My girlfriend and I stopped in for our first time last Monday. We live in the area and have never seen this place. I must say, were coming back. The food was excellent and our waiter was so cool. The table we ate on was a little tiny, but the food/decor/service made up for it. ON TOP OF THAT IT WAS CHEAP!

• Pros: Good service, cheap, GREAT FOOD
• Cons: No credit cards

Excellent Place!!! Excellent Value!!!

by degrusso at Citysearch

A friend told us about this little gem in Greenwich Village, Having lived in Paris for many years, it reminded me of a bistro in the Left Bank, everything is first rate, the amazing FOOD, the friendly, casual and easy going service, the ambience and of course the love, lovely, lovely garden, everything is so charming with excellent value.

I love this place.

• Pros: food, ambience, service
• Cons: no credit card

Just don't do it

by eatjesus at Citysearch

I read a lot of the reviews on this site, but if you're gonna try this place, check out a review from a paper or magazine, because the entrees are really hit or miss. I ordered bo luc lac, and it was prepared totally wrong. The beef was WAY overcooked, and the tomatoes and onions were served sliced instead of in chunks--impossible to eat with chop sticks or without a knife (which they don't provide). Also, they were out of our first choice bottle of wine, and then, instead of admitting they were out of our second choice, too, intentionally served us the wrong wine! On the plus side, the appetizers are way above average and the ambiance is great in either dining area.

• Pros: Ambiance, Appetizers, Good value
• Cons: Entrees, Small wine list, Fair-to-poor service